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Samsung Chief's Appeal to Start Late This Month

Samsung chief Lee Jae-yong's appeal against his five-year sentence for bribery and other financial crimes will start on Sept. 28.

Lee was convicted last month of paying W8.9 billion in bribes to ex-President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil (US$1=W1,128).

Lee will not have to appear at the Sept. 28 hearing.

In appeals filings earlier this month, Lee's lawyers claim he is innocent of all charges and had no intention of greasing Park's palm to ease a deal that cemented his personal control of the publicly traded conglomerate.

The prosecution has also appealed the sentence, which it says is too lenient and based on an erroneous finding that Samsung's massive donations to two dodgy nonprofits controlled by Choi were not a bribe.